SLDN asks
military to lift gay ban after Iraq Study Group releases
report

Now that the Iraq Study Group has released its report proposing new and amended strategies in Iraq, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network is calling on White House officials to reconsider their support for the military's ban on openly gay troops, according to an SLDN press release. The SLDN cites a study by the Government Accountability Office that claims approximately 300 language experts, including more than 50 speakers of Arabic, were fired under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy barring LGBT people from military service.

The Iraq Study Group said the Pentagon and CIA have insufficient numbers of people with the language skills needed to operate effectively in Iraq, which has hampered intelligence gathering, the release said.

"As our commander-in-chief, President Bush should be alarmed by the effect this law has on our military readiness," SLDN executive director C. Dixon Osburn said. "The White House must put the success of our military operations ahead of federal bigotry and work with Congress to dismantle the military's ban."

The Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law reported that at least 41,000 gays would sign up for duty if the ban were lifted. Gary Gates, who performed the study, also said that there are currently an estimated 65,000 lesbian and gay active service members. (The Advocate)